Harry Potter and the City of Twilight
by Sarajane of the Twinkling Eyes
Summary: Harry has a vision of a mysterious Lady of the Light and soonafter vanishes without a trace. Twelve set out on a dangerous journey to find him, but not all for the same reasons. (Includes ALL Weasleys and even more characters).
1. The Dream

Title: Harry Potter and the City of Twilight  
  
By Sarajane  
  
Disclaimer: If you recognise it, it's more than likely that I don't own it. J.K. Rowling does. Plus all those others who also gain a prophet from Harry Potter. Poor kid. Does he get anything??? (Just kidding) This will have small references to Susan Coopers 'The Dark is Rising Sequence', and I don't own that either.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Chapter One: The Dream  
  
  
  
"Where are you going?"  
  
I stared blankly at the old woman who had asked the question. Her green, cat-like eyes looked deeply into my own. After a second, I averted my eyes to the ground. The ground. Dirt; I was standing on a dirt path. How did I get here? I was just at the Dursley's, and now I'm at the edge of a forest. Voldemort. This has to be Voldemort's work.  
  
"Where are you going?" she repeated.  
  
I looked up again at the old woman. Heavy black robes covered her frail body. Her silver hair swayed in the cool evening breeze.  
  
"Where are you going?"  
  
For the first time, I stopped and thought about the question she asked. Where was I going?  
  
"I am.I'm going nowhere. In fact, I don't even know where I am," I replied.  
  
"You were walking. You must have been going somewhere."  
  
She had a point. Somewhere, deep in my subconscious, my mind knew where it was taking me.  
  
"Come, come." The old woman gestured with her hands for me to follow as she started walking along the dirt path in the dark and deserted forest.  
  
I followed her to a small hut made of mudstone. Inside was a room filled with brightly gleaming candles. A rustic table took its place in the centre of the room, with a large bookcase full with dusty spell books to its left.  
  
"What is your name?" I ask, to break the formidable silence between us.  
  
She smiled weakly and sat on a large oak chair near the fire. "Ceridwen is one of the names I am known to be, Harry."  
  
"Ceridwen? Wait a minute, how did you know my name?"  
  
"Sit down, my child," she said in a whisper. I did so without question. "If you don't know where you are going." the old woman began, "where do you want to go? What do you want to do? What is your hearts desire?"  
  
For a long time, I sat and thought.  
  
"I want to defeat Lord Voldemort. I want him gone so he won't torment anybody. I want this scare to stop burning. I want to be able to sleep at night without waking up from a nightmare. I want so many things. But they are all impossible. Aren't they?"  
  
"Nothing's impossible." Silence. "She's waiting for you."  
  
"Who?"  
  
"The Lady. Yet again, she has many names." I stood from my chair and walked to the window. Night had fallen. I turned to see the old woman flicking through the pages of the huge leather spell book.  
  
"Walk down the path, further into the forest and you will find your answers."  
  
  
  
The forest was getting darker, and the trees seemed to tower over me with an eerieness that reminded me of the Dementors. This must be an ancient forest. The path narrows and I find a small clearing. The full moon is shining brightly, with its crystal glow illuminating the trees surrounding me. In the middle of the clearing is a stone alter, and upon that a silver chalice. Am I suppose to drink this? I lifted it up and looked into the water. I can see my eyes. Those emerald green eyes that have become so weary of life. I had never taken the time to look into my own eyes. I was always preoccupied looking at my 'famous' scar. The more I gazed at my eyes, the greener they became until they were gleaming brightly like lights.  
  
"I heard you, before when you were at the old crones home."  
  
Looking up I see a lady dressed in white, brilliant and stunning. Her face was a wonder, appearing as a maiden, mother and crone. The Goddess. She has been waiting for me?  
  
"Can you help me?" I asked.  
  
"Yes. And in return you can help me. Come to me, Harry. Go to the Palace of Twilight." She placed her hand upon my head, and when I looked up she was gone. The forest was gone. There were no trees, no moon, only darkness. But in the silence I hear her whisper.  
  
"Wake up, Harry."  
  
  
  
Knock, knock, knock!  
  
"Wake up, boy! Do I need to come in there and pull you out by your hair?" Vernon Dursley yelled through a heavily locked door at his sleeping nephew. "Wake up and help your Aunt with breakfast. Now!"  
  
Harry blinked a few times and rubbed the sleep out of his eyes. Then he remembered the dream. The Dream.  
  
THUMP, THUMP, THUMP!  
  
"Get up!"  
  
"Alright, alright. I'm up," Harry said as he rolled onto the floor from his squeaky bed and landed with a thud. He took a deep breath. The air smelled like oak trees. Oak? Like in his dream. The forest had enormous oak trees. But that was just a dream, wasn't it? He had to tell someone. Sirius. He'd write and tell his godfather about his dream. Harry crawled to his desk and grabbed some parchment, dipped his quill in ink and began to write.  
  
Dear Sirius,  
  
Last night, I had to most weirdest dream. It felt so real. I think I dreamt about her. About the Goddess. But I'm not sure. She told me to go to her, to the Palace of Twilight. Is that really a place? Anyway, I hope you are fine. And say hello to Professor Lupin for me.  
  
Thanks, Harry.  
  
He folded his letter and opened Hedwigs cage.  
  
"I need you to take this to Sirius. You know where he is. And you'll know where I'll be." And although it was broad daylight, he let Hedwig fly out his window and into the morning sky. For some reason, this felt too urgent to keep until night. He had to find the answers. The Dream was real. He just knew it.  
  
The Dursley's were already half way through their breakfast when Harry came downstairs.  
  
"You took your time," Aunt Petunia snapped. "Now, make your Uncle's tea before he has to leave for work."  
  
"Yes Aunt Petunia."  
  
Harry's cousin, Dudley, had already finished eating his breakfast, and was searching around the fridge for an after breakfast snack. Obviously, the diet he was on didn't work all too well. He was still wider than the refrigerator.  
  
"And don't forget," grumbled his Uncle, "that your freaky friends are picking you up today at ten. You better be packed."  
  
"I am." Harry passed the cup of tea to his Uncles, who snatched it away from him.  
  
"You had better be."  
  
This was how Harry was ordinarily treated at the Dursley's. Never a kind word. Never a smile. He couldn't wait until his best friend, Ron and his family came to take him away from all of this. At the Weasley's he was treated like one of the family. He got to sleep in, and his plate was always full of food. And he got to spend all of his time catching up on news of the Wizarding World. Ron and Harry would swap stories about their time apart, (though Harry's tales were always shorter than Ron's since nothing even remotely interesting ever happened at the Dursley's). Maybe he should tell Ron about his Dream. Ron would probably think he was going mad. After all, the Goddess was supposedly mythological. Or something along those lines. It was a Way of the Wizarding World that he had never really looked into. Most of the pureblooded families still honoured the Great Goddess. So Ron should know all about it. At least he hoped so. He wasn't about to ask Draco Malfoy about it, that's for sure.  
  
Ten o'clock came and Aunt Petunia, Dudley and Harry (with his bags packed and ready to go) were standing by the electric heater. Last time the Weasley's had come to pick up Harry, they had to blow a hole in the wall because the fireplace had been blocked up to install the heater. So Harry's Aunt was already glaring at the wall, prepared to give the Weasleys a good lecture. Travelling by floo was not Harry's favourite way to get places. But the Weasley's insist that it's fast and cheap.  
  
Ten o'clock went just as slowly as it came and there was no sign of the Weasleys. Where could they be? Perhaps there was some sort of traffic jam in the floo network? But Harry was startled when he heard a sudden knock at the front door. That was odd. That couldn't possibly be the Weasley's. But before Harry could check, his Aunt had raced to the door, opened it and gasped. It was the Weasley's alright. Ron answered the door, and he was dressed in Muggle clothing. Well, at least it would have been Muggle about fifty years ago. Ron had a huge smile on his face.  
  
"Hello Harry. Ready to go? Dad got his hands on a new car and we drove it all the way here. Got some real funny stares from people, we did. Some man in a white car with blue flashing lights tried to knock us off the road, but Fred and George just threw a dungbomb at him. Madness!"  
  
With that, Aunt Petunia threw Harry's bags out the doorway with a huff, and slammed the door behind her.  
  
"Not going to say goodbye, huh?"  
  
Harry sighed. "They never do."  
  
"Come on. Just wait till you get to my house. The whole family is there. Even Bill and Charlie. And Fleur. Can you believe it? Oh, and Hermione is there too."  
  
"Fleur? What is she doing there? Wasn't she going back to France?" Harry was slightly puzzled.  
  
"Yeah, before she fell 'madly in love' with Charlie. Mum thinks it's cute." Ron rolled his eyes, and helped Harry put his trunk into the boot of the new car. "Hop in!"  
  
As Harry climbed in, he was surprised to see that the car was bigger on the inside than it was on the outside. "Wow," was about all he could think of saying.  
  
"Wow indeed, isn't it Harry," Mr. Weasley said, looking over his shoulder from the drivers seat. "What a magnificent creation."  
  
"You can say that again." The new car was so roomy, that Harry could have put his trunk in the car with his and Ron and still have room for the rest of the Weasley family; Percy, Bill and Charlie and of course Ginny and their mother. As Ron climbed in the car, Harry noticed a slightly perplexed look on his face.  
  
"Harry, where's Hedwig? Her cage is here, but she's not. Did you send her away with a letter?"  
  
"Yes I did, but she'll find me."  
  
Ron's eyes widened with excitement. "Who was the letter to?" He looked around then whispered, "Snuffles?"  
  
Harry smiled. "Yes, but I'll tell you about it later."  
  
"Harry, what's wrong? You haven't really been yourself. Is everything Ok?"  
  
Was everything Ok? Even Harry wasn't sure. The Dream was still so baffling.  
  
"Yeah. Everything's fine." But even Ron knew Harry was lying.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Please review. 


	2. Letters from Abroad

Chapter Two: Letters from Abroad  
  
  
  
The sun was burning in the sky above the Greek Island of Crete. It was the middle of June and this summer was the hottest on record. Especially for the trainee archaeologists from Oxford University. Professor Lyon sat on top of the hill and surveyed the site below him. The excavation to find the ruins of the palace of Knossos was a dream of a lifetime. And being a man of seventy, he had seen many wonders unleashed from beneath the sands of time. Of course, he was much, much older than seventy. And wiser.  
  
He ran his hand through his short white hair to brush it from his face and headed down to the dig. His students were in awe of there surroundings. If this was the real site of the historic palace they were going to make history. History was a funny subject for Merriman Lyon. But it often was when you were an Old One of the Light.  
  
He had just made it down to the outer region of the dig when his assistant, a bright and hopeful student named Kathryn, came and handed him two envelopes. Letters from abroad. One was from Wales and the other; an odd envelope made of parchment with emerald-green handwriting from Scotland. Realising what it was, he thought that that one would be better left for later and placed it in his pocket. He had been expecting both, but the one from Wales was far more important. It read:  
  
Dear Merriman,  
  
I believe Harry Potter is on his way to us. The circle is assembled to take him to the City of Twilight. But, do you think he is ready? Granted, his mother was this age when she came to us, but with everything he has gone through. And does Professor Dumbledore know? Although, knowing Albus he has a fair idea of what's going on. I have a feeling that man knows everything. Much like you.  
  
There is one thing that has been bothering me though. What if he tells someone? More importantly, what if he tells Sirius Black or Remus Lupin? Granted their help along with Lily and James was greatly needed last time, but can we afford others knowing? If Voldemort or the Dark Lord find out, then the whole plan will be for nothing and the Dark will return. Only last night I saw a large gathering of Rooks circling the gateway to the otherworld. And I still have nightmares about the last time I encountered them.  
  
I hope this letter finds you in good health.  
  
Yours sincerely, Will Stanton.  
  
Merriman Lyon folded the letter and placed it with the other in his pocket. Regardless of who knew, Harry Potter must go to Her in no less than six days. He had seen too many deaths throughout his many years. Harry was their last hope. Just as Lily had been.  
  
  
  
  
  
Remus Lupin was at his kitchen table staring at the letter he had just read. Although it had been addressed to his best friend, and current lodger Sirius Black, curiosity had gotten the better of him and he opened it. Now he wished he hadn't. Remus read and reread the letter hoping for the words to miraculously change, but nothing happened.  
  
She was back in his life.  
  
There was scratching at his back door. Sirius was home. How was he going to explain this? How was he going to tell Sirius that he had opened his letter from Harry?  
  
The door opened and a bear-like black dog stood with a letter in his mouth. It had emerald-green writing on the front and was addressed to both of them.  
  
"Morning Padfoot." Remus forced a smile. But it didn't go unnoticed. With a 'pop' the black dog transfigured into a tall man with shaggy dark brown hair.  
  
"What's wrong, Remus?"  
  
Remus sighed. "Nothing, nothing. What's that?" He said, pointing to the letter that was now in Sirius' hand.  
  
"A letter from Dumbledore. I haven't read it yet. An owl dropped it off while I was outside."  
  
"Open it."  
  
Sirius tore the envelope from the letter and read aloud:  
  
Dear Remus and 'Snuffles',  
  
How are the both of you? I hope that neither of you have been getting into too much trouble like the old days. And speaking of old days, events are happening that you may feel concern you. But on an official note, I must ask that you do not interfere. It is for your own good, or so I've been told. If I need your help, then I know where to find you both. Just keep your minds on the present, and the future will unravel itself. On an unofficial note, do what your heart tells you.  
  
Yours sincerely,  
  
Albus Dumbledore.  
  
"What does he mean?"  
  
Remus put his head in his hands and rubbed his eyes. It was too close to the full moon to have this thrust upon him.  
  
"You received a letter from Harry," he said, and pointed to the letter on the kitchen table. "I'm sorry, but I opened it. I thought it might be urgent."  
  
"And is it?"  
  
"That depends. It does explain a lot. Sirius, Harry had the Dream."  
  
He read the letter. Sirius was obviously confused. He looked as though he was searching his memory for certain events and then his eyes light up.  
  
"About.about Her?"  
  
"Yes, about the Great Goddess. Like Lily did. Remember, the same dream that caused Lily to drag you, me, James and Peter to Wales on impulse."  
  
"I remember. It was like Lily was possessed by some powerful force and we found out that she had been summoned by the Great Goddess. We never did find out what She wanted with Lily."  
  
"And now Harry has been summoned," Remus said.  
  
Sirius took a seat. He was afraid for his godson. "Do you think he'll make it? I mean, Lily was nearly exhausted when she made it to the mountain in Wales. Considering she went by foot. James had to help her stand in the end."  
  
"Do you think we should go and help Harry?"  
  
"Not right before a full moon, Remus. Besides, Lily didn't leave until she found out where she had to go. I doubt Harry has any idea where to meet Her."  
  
"But what if he does?" Remus was beginning to lose his temper. Partially because of the coming full moon, but Sirius knew better.  
  
"You still like her, don't you."  
  
Remus glared at his best friend. "I never liked Her in that way. Being attracted is not 'liking' Her."  
  
"It was a pretty strong attraction if I recall," Sirius laughed.  
  
"Sirius, She is the Great Goddess. She is of the Light. I am a monster of the Dark. Being around Her is worse than any full moon. I can't control myself around Her because as a goddess she represents the Moon. I was too afraid. Still am."  
  
Sirius put a comforting hand on Remus' shoulder. "But She'll always be Rhiannon to us."  
  
And with that, Remus genuinely smiled and felt some hope that maybe this letter from Harry was a sign of hope. History may repeat itself, but maybe this time, it will go beyond what was imagined. He might have Her back.  
  
  
  
  
  
The hustle and bustle of The Burrow was the same as always when Harry arrived later that day. Mrs. Weasley was preparing dinner with Fleur and Hermione's help, while the others (minus Percy who was working on Ministry papers in his room) were setting up the tables outside. Well, at least that was what they were supposed to be doing. Charlie had just lit a fantastic bonfire to celebrate Midsummer, and was now charming the flames to dance around like fairies. Fred and George were mimicking the fairy dance, and Harry watched as Ginny giggled at the sight. There was an innocence in Ginny that he very much missed in himself. She saw the light in everything, even after being used by Tom Riddle.  
  
"Harry, come over here and dance with us. I think Charlie was going to make them boogie next. That will be a sight!" Fred and George were choking with laughter. Harry found it amazing that people could be so amused by such a small thing. But in times like these, with Voldemort in full power, you had to find something to laugh about.  
  
"Yeah, come on Harry. Before they start waltzing. I could just picture you and Ginny together. Mind you, your feet would be swelling up by the end. Pathetic dancer she is," George said.  
  
Ginny stormed over to her brother and stomped on his foot. "Oh look, I can even make your feet swell when I'm not dancing with you." What was that about innocence? Ginny left to go inside, after saying to Harry, "It's nice to see you. And I give you all the permission in the world to hex my brothers." She forcibly pushed the door open, just as Hermione came out with bowls of salad. But with a quick spell, they were able to avoid toppling over one another. Ginny apologized and stormed away.  
  
"Fred and George again?" Hermione asked, and every nodded. The twins with huge grins plastered on their faces. "Boys will be boys," she sighed.  
  
Dinner that night was delicious, and a real treat for Harry who had lived off the Dursley's leftovers for a month. But his mind was continuously interrupted with thoughts of the Dream. He had to tell Ron and Hermione. It was driving his mad keeping it a secret. It was as though it wanted to get out of his head. Harry decided that tonight before bed, he would tell his two best friends. But he doubted they could help.  
  
Harry didn't notice that Ron and Hermione were having their own doubts about him. When he arrived, Harry had insisted to everyone that he was fine, although something was clearly wrong. He wasn't paying attention, and was off in his own little world. Mrs. Weasley was so worried that she prepared all of Harry's favourite meals to cheer him up. But it didn't seem to work.  
  
"What do you think is wrong with him?" Ron asked Hermione.  
  
She shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know. But we need to find out tonight. I don't like seeing Harry like this."  
  
"Me neither." 


End file.
